We Buy Diabetic Test Strips

Last updated

We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
Armand Hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips.png
Studio album by
Armand Hammer
ReleasedSeptember 29, 2023 (2023-09-29)
Genre
Length53:12
Label Fat Possum
Producer
Armand Hammer chronology
Haram
(2021)		We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
(2023)
Singles from We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
  1. "Trauma Mic"
    Released: August 2, 2023
  2. "Woke Up and Asked Siri How I'm Gonna Die"
    Released: August 29, 2023
  3. "The Gods Must Be Crazy"
    Released: September 26, 2023

We Buy Diabetic Test Strips is the sixth studio album by American hip hop duo Armand Hammer (Billy Woods, Elucid). It was released on September 29, 2023, through Fat Possum. The album features guest appearances by JPEGMafia, Moor Mother, El-P, Pierce Jordan of Soul Glo, Pink Siifu, Junglepussy, Curly Castro and Cavalier. It is the first Armand Hammer album to not be released under the Backwoodz Studioz label. It was met with critical acclaim.

Contents

Background and promotion

On July 3, 2023, Billy Woods revealed that their next studio album was almost done, saying that they took a "pretty different" approach and that Elucid was still working on the record. Collaborator and producer Kenny Segal thought that the album was "ridiculous" and looking to "knock Maps off the album-of-the-year list". [1] About two weeks later, mysterious postcards and flyers with phone numbers that lead to album and pre-order details were spotted. [2] Fans would also receive postcards delivered to them with a tracklist and phone number. [3] The duo announced the album on August 2. A session with jazz musician Shabaka Hutchings, producer/keyboardist Child Actor, engineer Willie Green and Elucid helped set up the foundation of the album. [4] [5] The latter described the recording process as an assembly of talented rappers meeting for the first time in the studio to jam "to pre-recorded beats before splintering off into new directions". The opportunity to watch them drift off into their own "sonic worlds" was a clear "magical moment" for him. [6]

Release

The album was preceded with three singles: "Trauma Mic" featuring Pink Siifu, released on August 2, [7] [8] "Woke Up and Asked Siri How I'm Gonna Die" featuring JPEGMafia, released on August 29, [9] [10] and "The Gods Must Be Crazy", featuring El-P, released three days before the album's release. [11] [12]

The duo embarked on the We Buy Diabetic Test Strips Tour in support of the album, starting on October 1, 2023 in Kingston and concluding on February 24, 2024 in Atlanta. [6] [7]

On February 27, 2024, an updated version of the album was released, which featured a bonus track, "Doves" featuring Benjamin Booker, and removed Junglepussy's verses from "Y'all Can't Stand Right Here" and "Empire BLVD" for unknown reasons. [13] [14] [15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 87/100 [16]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Beats Per Minute 92% [18]
HipHopDX Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [19]
Exclaim! 9/10 [20]
The Line of Best Fit 8/10 [21]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [22]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [23]
Pitchfork 8.1/10 [24]
PopMatters 8/10 [25]
The Quietus Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [26]

We Buy Diabetic Test Strips received a score of 87 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on twelve critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [16] Mojo stated that "ultimately, it's Woods and Elucid who provide the intense, erudite, funny through-line", [22] while Uncut opined that "the music reflects this stark, witty chronicle of precarious modern living with a queasy tableau of churning beats, one minute harsh and industrial, the next lush and dreamy". [27] Pitchfork 's Matthew Ismael Ruiz called it a "success—it can feel like being tugged by dozens of different hands yet still being pulled forward" as well as "moody, unsettling, sharply observed album balancing moments of self-reflection with vivid snapshots of societal dysfunction". [24]

Concluding the review of the album for AllMusic, Paul Simpson claimed that, "We Buy Diabetic Test Strips feels like a step forward from a duo whose discography has been consistently innovative from the start." [17]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
Critic/PublicationListRankRef.
Beats Per Minute BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2023
14
BrooklynVegan BrooklynVegan's Top 55 Albums of 2023
2
Crack The Top 50 Albums of the Year
47
Gorilla vs. Bear Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2023
23
PopMatters The 80 Best Albums of 2023
23
The Ringer The 27 Best Albums of 2023
7
Slant Magazine The 50 Best Albums of 2023
34
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2023
46
Vulture The Best Albums of 2023
6

Track listing

We Buy Diabetic Test Strips track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Landlines"
 JPEGMafia 2:58
2."Woke Up and Asked Siri How I'm Gonna Die" (featuring JPEGMafia)
  • Elucid
  • Woods
  • JPEGMafia
JPEGMafia2:41
3."The Flexible Unreliability of Time & Memory"
Child Actor3:21
4."When It Doesn't Start with a Kiss"
  • Elucid
  • Woods
  • JPEGMafia
  • Pudge
  • JPEGMafia
  • Pudge
3:23
5."I Keep a Mirror in My Pocket" (featuring Cavalier)
Preservation3:43
6."Trauma Mic" (featuring Pink Siifu)
  • Elucid
  • Woods
  • DJ Haram
  • Pink Siifu
DJ Haram2:34
7."Niggardly (Blocked Call)"
  • Elucid
  • Woods
  • August Fanon
August Fanon4:01
8."The Gods Must Be Crazy" (featuring El-P)
El-P3:00
9."Y'all Can't Stand Right Here" (featuring Money Nicca)
  • Elucid
  • Woods
  • Steel Tipped Dove
  • Messiah Musik
  • Steel Tipped Dove
2:31
10."Total Recall"
Kenny Segal4:21
11."Empire BLVD" (featuring Curly Castro)
  • Elucid
  • Woods
  • Curly Castro
  • Green
Green3:19
12."Don't Lose Your Job" (featuring Pink Siifu and Moor Mother)
  • Black Noise
  • Jeff Markey
4:25
13."Supermooned" (featuring DJ Haram)
  • Elucid
  • Woods
  • DJ Haram
  • DJ Haram
  • Elucid
2:54
14."Switchboard"
  • Elucid
  • Woods
  • Sebb Bash
Sebb Bash4:02
15."The Key Is Under the Mat" (featuring JPEGMafia)
  • Elucid
  • Woods
  • JPEGMafia
JPEGMafia4:13
16."Doves" (featuring Benjamin Booker)
  • Elucid
  • Woods
  • Segal
  • Benjamin Booker
  • Benjamin Booker
  • Segal
8:56
Total length:61:57

Charts

Chart performance for We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
Chart (2023)Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC) [37] 32
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [38] 44
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [39] 5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jermaine Dupri</span> American record producer and rapper (born 1972)

Jermaine Dupri Mauldin is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. Raised in Atlanta as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music production at the age of nine. He discovered the teen hip hop duo Kris Kross in 1991. Dupri wrote and produced their 1992 single "Jump," which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the 23rd most successful song of that decade. He established his own record label, So So Def Recordings in a joint venture with Columbia the following year.

Tanya Morgan is an American hip hop group, which consists of MC William Donald "Donwill" Freeman and MC/producer Devon "Von Pea" Callender. Donwill is from Cincinnati, Ohio, while Von Pea is from Brooklyn, New York. Their fourth studio album, YGWY$4, was released on July 28, 2017.

<i>Skinny Jeanz and a Mic</i> 2009 studio album by New Boyz

Skinny Jeanz and a Mic is the debut studio album by jerkin' crew and rap duo New Boyz, Legacy and Ben J. It was released on September 15, 2009, via Shotty Music, Asylum Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album was heavily influenced by jerkin' music. It received generally positive reviews, being called the sixth best album of 2009 by The New York Times. The album was released after the duo brought jerkin' to national attention with their viral hit "You're a Jerk", which later became a commercial success and the first single off their album. The second single "Tie Me Down", featuring Ray J, was released and also was successful. The album debuted at fifty-six on the Billboard 200, and at number twelve on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and eight on Top Rap Albums. The album was produced by New Boyz member, Legacy, and also contributions from producers, Jay-Nari, D&D and DJ Felli Fel.

Kenny Segal, also known as Syndakit, is an American record producer and DJ based in Los Angeles, California. In 2018, Mixmag described him as "one of the best hip-hop producers in the city." He has been a member of Team Supreme, The Kleenrz, and The Jefferson Park Boys.

Child Actor is an American underground hip hop producer.

Billy Woods is an American rapper based in New York. He is also the founder of the record label Backwoodz Studioz. Woods has been a member of Armand Hammer, Super Chron Flight Brothers, and The Reavers.

Armand Hammer is an American hip hop superduo from New York City that was formed around 2013. The duo consists of Billy Woods and Elucid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Booker</span> American musician

Benjamin Booker is an American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He cites The Gun Club, Blind Willie Johnson and T. Rex as influences. His music was described by the Chicago Tribune as "a raw brand of blues/boogie/soul,", by The Independent as "frenzied guitar-strumming and raw, soulful vocals that are hair-raising in intensity" and by Spin as "bright, furious, explosive garage rock."

Shayna McHayle, known professionally by her stage name Junglepussy, is an American rapper and actress from New York City. Her first mixtape Satisfaction Guaranteed was released in 2014. She has received recognition from different artists such as Erykah Badu and Lil' Kim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JPEGMafia</span> American rapper, singer, and record producer (born 1989)

Barrington DeVaughn Hendricks, known professionally as JPEGMafia, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, he signed with Republic Records to release his debut studio album, Black Ben Carson (2016). He then signed a joint venture deal with Deathbomb Arc to release his second album Veteran (2018), which received widespread critical acclaim. His third album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs (2019) was released independently and entered the Billboard 200, while he returned to Republic for the release of his fourth album LP! (2021); both were met with continued critical acclaim. In 2023, he released his collaborative studio album Scaring the Hoes with fellow alternative rapper Danny Brown. In 2024, he released his fifth studio album I Lay Down My Life for You.

<i>Veteran</i> (JPEGMafia album) 2018 studio album by JPEGMafia

Veteran is the second studio album by American rapper JPEGMafia. It was released on 19 January 2018 by Deathbomb Arc and Republic Records. A music video for "Baby I'm Bleeding" was released on 1 December 2017. A second video was released on 18 May 2018 for "Real Nega". On 12 September 2018, a video for "1539 N. Calvert" was released. The album was released to widespread critical acclaim and was featured in numerous year-end lists; in 2019, Pitchfork listed it at number 171 in their list of best albums of the decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JPEGMafia discography</span>

The discography of American rapper and producer JPEGMafia consists of five studio albums, eight extended plays, eight mixtapes, three video albums and 42 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elucid</span> American rapper

Chaz Hall, better known by his stage name Elucid, is an American rapper and record producer from New York City. He has been a member of Armand Hammer, Cult Favorite, Lessondary, Nostrum Grocers, and Small Bills.

<i>Shrines</i> (Armand Hammer album) 2020 hip hop album by Armand Hammer

Shrines is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Armand Hammer. It was released via Backwoodz Studioz in 2020. The album's cover is a photograph of a NYPD police officer about to tranquilize and capture the tiger Ming of Harlem.

<i>Haram</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Armand Hammer and the Alchemist

Haram is a collaborative studio album by American hip hop duo Armand Hammer and American hip hop record producer The Alchemist. It was released on March 26, 2021, via Backwoodz Studioz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly Anakin</span> American rapper

Frank L. Walton, Jr, better known by his stage name Fly Anakin is an American rapper and record producer from Richmond, Virginia. He is the co-founder of Richmond hip hop crew Mutant Academy.

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2023.

<i>Leather Blvd</i> 2023 studio album by B. Cool-Aid

Leather Blvd is the second album by American hip hop duo B. Cool-Aid, consisting of rapper Pink Siifu and producer Ahwlee. The album was released on March 31, 2023, by Lex Records. The album was announced January 16 along with lead single "Cnt Go Back " which features contributions from V.C.R., Jimetta Rose, Liv.e, Butcher Brown, and Maurice II.

Robert Mansel, known professionally as Black Noi$e or Black Noise, is an American record producer, songwriter, and DJ from Detroit, Michigan. He is best known for his work as a tour DJ for M.I.A. and Earl Sweatshirt as well as producing and writing tracks for other artists such as Armand Hammer, Danny Brown, Fly Anakin, Lucki, MIKE, Pink Siifu, Wiki, and Zelooperz. Black Noi$e was the first signee of Earl Sweatshirt's imprint label of Warner Records, Tan Cressida, in 2020.

"Stars" is a song by the American hip hop superduo ¥$, composed of rapper Kanye West and singer Ty Dolla Sign, released as the opening track on their debut studio album, Vultures 1 (2024). The song features uncredited vocals from Camper. It was produced by the duo alongside Aver Ray, Camper, FnZ, JPEGMafia, Shdøw, the Legendary Traxster, and Timbaland. Apart from Shdøw and Timbaland, the producers served as co-writers with Lucien Parker and Quentin Miller. A dark gospel track, it features a sample of "Good Luck" by Dijon. Lyrically, the song sees West and Ty Dolla Sign boasting of their accomplishments.

References

  1. ↑ Hudson, Alex (July 3, 2023). "Armand Hammer's New Album Is Nearly Done, Will "Knock 'Maps' Off the Album-of-the-Year List"". Exclaim! . Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  2. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (July 25, 2023). "Armand Hammer Announce New Album We Buy Diabetic Test Strips Via Teasers". Pitchfork . Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  3. ↑ Brodsky, Rachel (July 24, 2023). "Armand Hammer Tease New Album We Buy Diabetic Test Strips Feat. Soul Glo's Pierce Jordan, Pink Siifu, Moor Mother, More". Stereogum . Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ Lejarde, Arielle Lana (August 2, 2023). "Armand Hammer announce new album with lead single "Trauma Mic"". The Fader . Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  5. ↑ Moore, Marcus J. (September 26, 2023). "Armand Hammer Keeps a Foot in the Past, but Its Eyes on the Future". The New York Times . Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Vito, Jo (August 2, 2023). "Armand Hammer Announce New Album We Buy Diabetic Test Strips, 2023-2024 Tour Dates". Consequence . Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Sacher, Andrew. "Armand Hammer share "Trauma Mic" ft. Pink Siifu, announce tour". BrooklynVegan . Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  8. ↑ Lana LeJarde, Arielle (August 2, 2023). "Armand Hammer announce new album with lead single "Trauma Mic"". The FADER . Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  9. ↑ Damara Kelly, Tyler (August 29, 2023). "Armand Hammer releases JPEGMAFIA-produced single, "Woke Up and Asked Siri How I'm Gonna Die"". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  10. ↑ McMullen, Chase (August 31, 2023). "Armand Hammer share the isolated beauty of "Woke Up and Asked Siri How I'm Gonna Die", produced by JPEGMAFIA". Beats Per Minute . Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  11. ↑ Horvath, Zachary (September 26, 2023). "Armand Hammer Thinks "The Gods Must Be Crazy" On El-P Produced Track". HotNewHipHop . Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  12. ↑ Anderson, Carys (September 26, 2023). "Armand Hammer Share New Song "The Gods Must Be Crazy," Produced by El-P". Consequence . Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  13. ↑ Corcoran, Nina (February 27, 2024). "Armand Hammer Share Video for New Song "Doves" Featuring Benjamin Booker". Pitchfork . Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  14. ↑ Breihan, Tom (February 27, 2024). "Armand Hammer Team Up With Benjamin Booker On New Song "Doves": Listen". Stereogum . Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  15. ↑ Small, TeeJay (March 19, 2024). "Why Did Armand Hammer Remove Junglepussy from "We Buy Diabetic Test Strips"?". HotNewHipHop . Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  16. 1 2 "We Buy Diabetic Test Strips by Armand Hammer Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Simpson, Paul (September 29, 2023). "Armand Hammer -We Buy Diabetic Test Strips Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic . Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  18. ↑ Wohlmacher, John (October 3, 2023). "Album Review: Armand Hammer – We Buy Diabetic Test Strips". Beats Per Minute . Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  19. ↑ Malone, Anthony (October 16, 2023). "Armand Hammer 'We Buy Diabetic Test Strips' Tries To Make Sense Of Our World After Covid". HipHopDX . Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Armand Hammer's 'We Buy Diabetic Test Strips' Is Conspiratorial and Commanding". Exclaim! . Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Armand Hammer: We Buy Diabetic Test Strips Review - beguiling and impressive | Rap". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  22. 1 2 "Armand Hammer – We Buy Diabetic Test Strips". Mojo . November 2023. p. 93.
  23. ↑ Empire, Kitty (October 1, 2023). "Armand Hammer: We Buy Diabetic Test Strips review – an exceptional record". The Observer . ISSN   0029-7712 . Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  24. 1 2 Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (October 3, 2023). "Armand Hammer: We Buy Diabetic Test Strips Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Abstract Hip-Hop Duo Armand Hammer Return With Superb New LP". PopMatters . October 9, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  26. ↑ "The Quietus | Reviews | Armand Hammer". The Quietus . Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Armand Hammer – We Buy Diabetic Test Strips". Uncut . November 2023. p. 25.
  28. ↑ Hakimian, Rob; McMullen, Chase; Pickard, Joshua; Wohlmacher, John; Finlayson, Ray; Amen, John; Kohner, Kyle; Early, J. T.; Thomas, Carlo (December 29, 2023). "BPM's Top 50 Albums of 2023". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  29. ↑ Staff, BrooklynVegan. "BrooklynVegan's Top 55 Albums of 2023". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Best albums of 2023: Our pick of the top records". Crack Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  31. ↑ ChrisChris (November 30, 2023). "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2023". GORILLA VS. BEAR. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  32. ↑ "The 80 Best Albums of 2023". PopMatters. December 23, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  33. ↑ Staff, The Ringer (December 6, 2023). "The 27 Best Albums of 2023". The Ringer. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  34. ↑ Slant Staff (December 7, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  35. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Paste Magazine. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  36. ↑ Jenkins, Craig (December 5, 2023). "The Best Albums of 2023". Vulture. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  37. ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.